The present invention relates to a drain cleaning machine, and more particularly to a coupling between a rotatable drum and a motor.
Conventional drum type drain cleaning machines typically include a frame structure supporting a rotatable snake drum and a drive motor arrangement for rotating the drum. The frame structure also supports a snake feeding arrangement by which the snake or cable is axially displaced relative to the rotating drum during use of the machine. The snake coiled within the rotatable drum is displaced by the feeding arrangement and inserted into a pipe or drain to be cleaned. Rotation of the drum rotates the snake to achieve such cleaning.
The rotatable drum in known drain cleaning machines may typically be removed from the support frame and drive arrangement to facilitate replacement of the drum with one containing a snake having a different diameter and to make the separate components more mobile. Disadvantageously, conventional removable drums require tools to disassemble the rotatable drum from the support frame. This, of course, requires access to the proper tools and is also somewhat time consuming for the operator.
Relatively small drain cleaning machines utilize a motor typical of an electric drill. The gear motor provides rotational power to the drum through an in-line coupling. Space and cost considerations may limit the size of the bearing. A relatively small bearing increases the bending load upon the drum shaft which may result in a rotational imbalance and reduced power transfer from the motor.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a rotatable drum coupling assembly which allows removal of the drum while assuring effective rotational balance.